


Rubber Chicken

by helens78, Telesilla



Category: Establishment RPF
Genre: Dom/sub, Established Relationship, Humor, Rubber Chicken, The Establishment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-06-28
Updated: 2004-06-28
Packaged: 2017-11-01 23:59:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/362749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helens78/pseuds/helens78, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Telesilla/pseuds/Telesilla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sean's just back from some work on Sharpe, and Liam has a gag gift for him.  But the joke's on Liam when Sean decides to put Liam's gift to... other purposes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rubber Chicken

**Author's Note:**

> There's a scene in one of the _Sharpe_ movies where Sean Bean threatens nuns by waving a chicken at them (I am not making this up). For some reason, Ruth and I decided that Sean _beating_ Liam with a rubber chicken was hilarious, and this was the result.
> 
> This is an AU of the characters we wrote in the RPG "The Establishment".

It was a stupid idea but Liam had been laid up at his place with a cold for a few days and he'd been bored. Deprived of Sean's presence because he didn't want Sean to get the damn cold as well, Liam had ended up watching several of the _Sharpe_ episodes he'd missed when they were first aired. And so he'd come up with this idea.

 _Stupid idea,_ he thinks again as he stands at Sean's door, brightly wrapped box in his hands. It's the first time he's been to see Sean in a week and Liam's looking forward to being with his Master again. _He's going to toss you out into the street Neeson, you know that don't you?_

Sean opens the door, already grinning ear-to-ear. "Fuck, I've missed you, boy," he growls softly. Always careful of the neighbors here, both of them are, and so Sean steps back to let Liam inside instead of wrapping Liam into a hug and biting hard at his earlobe. "Come in."

The package catches his eye as Liam comes inside, and Sean raises an eyebrow. "Someone's birthday?"

"Missed you too, Master," Liam says, knowing that the effect of Sean's growl will be obvious the moment Sean hugs him. He leans into Sean for a moment and then steps back, holding the box out. "It's just something I picked up after watching a few old _Sharpe_ episodes," he explains, resisting the urge to go and toss the box into the boot of his car. _It was funnier when I first thought of it._

"Yeah?" Sean asks. "God, I think of old _Sharpe_ bits and I think Siberia." Which is better than thinking of the two seasons he spent filming _Sharpe_ away from Pierce in Turkey. And so he takes the box and shakes it a little, head jerking up in surprise when whatever's in the box... thuds a bit.

He does it again. Yeah, there's definitely a thud to it, the weight uneven, some sense that whatever's inside is bouncing a bit... Sean glances up at Liam with a smirky grin on his face. "My boy's got something in mind for the afternoon?" he asks. The box is a little small for it to be anything really heavy, can't have tails much more than a foot long, but... Liam picked it out, and _that_ thought's enough to get Sean hard in his jeans immediately.

 _Oh shite,_ Liam thinks. _He thinks it's a flogger or something._ "Not exactly," he says, reaching for the box. "Look it was a daft idea, just forget about it, yeah?"

Now there's no way Sean's going to let Liam take it back. He dances back a couple of steps and starts ripping at wrapping paper, tongue poking out over his teeth and grin widening. "I want to see," he grins.

"Fine," Liam says backing up toward the door, "but I just remembered an urgent appointment ... somewhere else." _You doing that thing with your tongue is not making this any easier, you know._

" _Boy_ ," Sean says, just this side of sharp. _And Sharpe,_ he thinks, _what's this got to do with Sharpe?_ "Stay put while I find out what you're stumbling all over yourself for." He's getting into the box a little more urgently now, wrapping paper tossed to the floor and pulling the cardboard box open and...

... _and_.

Sean stares up at Liam for a second, then reaches into the box and comes out holding a rubber chicken by the neck.

" _Boy_...?"

Reacting to Sean calling him boy is second nature by now; Liam goes down onto his knees, his posture correct and his hands on his thighs. However, in spite of the fact that the position makes him hard and in spite of Sean's repetition of the word "boy," Liam completely loses it at the expression on Sean's face when he first sees the chicken. When Sean holds it out by its neck, Liam laughs even harder.

Sean's trying. Oh, Christ, he's trying so fucking hard not to laugh, but he's holding a goddamned _rubber chicken_ and Liam's laughing and... he thrusts the chicken out again, making it dangle and bounce limply in his hand, and then he's dropping to his knees in front of Liam, dropping his head into the hand that is _not_ full of rubber chicken at this moment.

"Jesus, Liam," Sean manages, "what in hell...?"

"The bit with you and the nuns and the chickens," Liam manages to get out through his laughter. "Jaysus I think I set myself back a whole day ... damn near coughed up a ... fucking lung." Liam tries to calm down again but makes the mistake of looking at the chicken, which just sends him off into fresh gales of laughter.

Sean drops the chicken to the side and runs his hands up Liam's chest, resting them on his shoulders and squeezing, just trying to hang on. "Me and the nuns and the chickens," he repeats, barely able to get the words out. He's laughing so hard tears are leaking out of his eyes, and he shakes his head, then shakes it again. "My boy's got a fucking twisted sense of humor," he manages, barely, chest almost aching from laughing so hard.

"This boy," Liam says, breathlessly, "is glad his Master approves." And now the laughter is fading a bit, chased away by the way Sean is holding on to him, fingers gripping Liam's shoulders tightly.

"C'mere," Sean says, fingers kneading harder into Liam's shoulders as he draws Liam forward. "Want a kiss from my boy. Haven't got that yet today."

Grateful that they're moving past the whole chicken thing, Liam offers his mouth eagerly. He's missed Sean's kisses, missed Sean. _Should have let him come take care of me,_ he thinks. _Or at least visit._

"Yeah," Sean growls out, "c'mon, boy. Open your mouth for me." He bites at Liam's lower lip, slides both hands to Liam's neck and rubs his thumbs over the sides of it. "Haven't had my boy in far too long. Want to start by fucking your mouth. With my tongue. My cock." _You brought me a rubber chicken._ Sean can't help it; even with the growl and the way his cock is jerking, he's coming dangerously close to laughing all over again.

"Please Master," Liam breathes. "Please use your boy's mouth." He's gone from hysteria to pure need and it feels good -- feels _right_ \-- to kneel here waiting to be used. _Begging to be used, for Christ's sake._

Sean runs a hand down between Liam's legs, cups Liam's cock and presses the heel of his hand against it. "Do I have a greedy boy this morning?" he growls. "Does my slut want his Master's cock down his throat, choking him, fucking him 'til his Master's breath's coming out ragged and unsteady?"

"Your boy," Liam says after a low moan as he tries not to grind against Sean's hand, "your slut begs for Master's cock."

Sean gives Liam one more hard, rough squeeze, and then stands up, trailing a hand up Liam's chest as he goes. "Such a good boy," Sean says. "Love having a greedy boy in my house." He snaps the buttons of his jeans open, not in any mood to wait. "Get my cock out. Use your hands."

Quickly obeying, Liam eagerly finishes with the buttons before sliding the jeans down Sean's hips a little. He stifles a chuckle at the sight of Sean's boxers -- this pair is green and blue paisley -- and gets them out of the way too.

"Mmmmmm," Liam murmurs, lightly kissing to the head of Sean's cock. Wanting to drag it out a bit he presses more kisses down the underside of the shaft, breathing Sean's warm scent in happily.

Sean slides a hand into Liam's hair, drawing his fingers through it, scratching his way down to the back of Liam's neck. "Master's not feeling very patient today," he murmurs. "Hasn't had his boy in a week..."

"This boy hasn't had Master's cock in a week," Liam says, before sliding his mouth over Sean's cock swiftly, sucking hard as he lets more and more of Sean's cock fill his mouth. _Fucking love this,_ he thinks as he works to keep from gagging. _Love sucking cock._

The only sound that comes out of Sean's throat is a soft growl, fingernails scratching harder against the back of Liam's neck as he watches his cock disappearing down Liam's throat. No matter how many times he sees it, it always looks beautiful, and makes him want to hold Liam still and just pound into him, watch him struggle and gasp and choke for it.

"Mmmmm," Liam hums again, this time around a mouthful of cock. All thoughts of any silliness have faded and he puts his hand behind his back and gazes pleadingly up at Sean, hoping his eyes show how much he wants it. His next hum is far more desperate; some might even call it a muffled whine.

"Good boy," Sean whispers, "greedy fucking slut," and he cups Liam's head in both hands and starts to speed up, thrusts carrying him in deeper and faster, too fast to avoid Liam's teeth completely but that's hardly a reason to slow down.

Doing his best to keep his teeth from being too much, Liam relaxes as much as he can, letting Sean pound into his mouth and taking quick breaths whenever Sean gives him a chance. It's not quite often enough and the faint sensation of choking only makes the whole experience better.

"More," Sean growls out, "my boy can take it, can choke for me, _Christ_ yes that's good, _fuck_ \--" Jesus, Liam's good at this; behaving beautifully today, too, not a hint of a smirk or a tooth out of place. _Fucking right. Has to make up for the..._ Sean thrusts in just a little too deep, teeth slamming down on his lip as he tries not to think of Liam's _gift_.

The tears that come to Liam's eyes as he fights not to gag are purely reflex. Although it's hard to be here with Sean's cock feeling like it's battering his mouth, he wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now. At least not until Sean wants him somewhere else.

It doesn't take much more. Christ, it doesn't take much at all, just the sight of Liam on his knees enough to make Sean ache to come. He tangles his fingers into Liam's hair and thrusts forward one more time, burying his cock deep in Liam's throat, and he lets out a long, soft moan as he comes, cock jerking hard.

Normally, Liam would do his best to swallow everything, but there's something so perverse about being choked like this that he pulls back a little and lets some of Sean's come spill out of the side of his mouth.

"Oh... fuck..." Sean gasps, pulling back further and running his thumb over Liam's cheek. He catches a spot of come and licks it off the pad of his thumb, still panting, and then thrusts back in one more time, just to feel Liam's mouth around his softening cock.

Moaning contentedly, Liam uses his tongue now that he can, lavishing slow, long licks on Sean's cock as it softens in Liam's mouth. This is the flip side of a blow job involving choking, this tenderness he feels afterwards.

"Good boy," Sean murmurs, letting Liam finish with him before pulling back all the way and sighing softly. "Almost makes up for the fact you brought me a fucking rubber chicken to beat you with."

Sean's words pull Liam out of headspace more abruptly than just about anything else Sean could think up. "I ... that's not ... I mean," he stammers, glaring up at Sean. "Not on your fucking life! "

"It was your gift!" Sean protests, lifting up one foot at a time to get out of his shoes and then toeing out of his socks. "And I like it." His tongue's so firmly in cheek it might never come out.

"I like it too," Liam says. "As an effin' _joke_." He's pretty certain he won't be able to keep a straight face if Sean tries to beat him with the thing. In fact even now he can feel the laughter building up again.

"And it's funny," Sean agrees, jerking his shirt up over his head and dropping it to the floor. "You think it's more stingy or more thuddy? I'm thinking thud. Heavy thud. With some clucking."

"Look," Liam says, "if you're trying to get me to regret the joke, I already do. No need to beat me with the damn thing." _Thank Christ I didn't get the one that squeaked._

Jeans and boxers come off and then Sean's standing naked, and he bends over to pick up the rubber chicken. He gives it a swing through the air, by the neck, then shakes his head and picks it up by the feet, swinging it that way. "I think like this," he says, glancing down at Liam. "Now what are you still doing dressed?"

"Now wait just a bleedin' minute," Liam protests, not moving. "Ha ha, you've had your fun. Now put the chicken down." The phrase makes him think of Carrie-Anne for some reason. "Back away from the chicken," he adds, "or an alarm will sound."

Sean swings the chicken in an arc around his head, looking much like he did in _Sharpe's Honor_ , only naked, without the nuns, and with a rubber chicken instead of a fake live one. "I'm armed with a chicken and I know how to use it," he warns. "Strip off or face the consequences."

Liam's almost laughing too much to get the next question out. "What... fuck ... what are the ... consequences. You look bloody daft, by the way."

"Your gift. Your Sharpe obsession. Your bloody rubber chicken." Sean lets the chicken dangle loosely at his side, though it bounces a bit as its weight causes its legs to stretch and contract. "Consequences are not coming for the rest of the day. Up to you."

That wouldn't sound so bad, but not only has Liam been too tired to jerk off for the last several days, he also knows that if Sean says no coming, that doesn't mean they sit around watching the match on the telly. It means a day of pure torment while Sean takes every minute he can to keep Liam on the edge of an orgasm, an idea that always starts out sounding terribly hot and ends up just being hellishly frustrating.

 _Not to mention that he might want to beat me with the damn chicken tomorrow_ , Liam thinks. _Might as well get it over with and then I can put the damn thing in the trash after he goes to bed._ Reluctantly, he toes off his trainers and then gets out of the rest of his clothes without coming entirely out of his kneeling position.

Sean grins, leaning over and running his fingers through Liam's hair. "Good boy," he murmurs. "If you can make it through three without laughing I'll let you have me any way you want from dawn to dusk tomorrow." He glances down at the rubber chicken in his hand. "You make it through even _one_ and I'll roll over for you in the morning."

"Oh Jaysus," Liam says. There's no way in hell, even with such amazing incentive, that he's going to manage that and he can tell from the smirk on Sean's eyes that his Master knows that perfectly well.

As he opens his mouth to ask where Sean wants him, he suddenly realizes something is missing. "Master may this boy have the privilege of wearing his collar?" The significance of the question -- the meaning behind it -- goes a long way to steadying Liam.

The grin slides onto Sean's face, without any smirk at all this time, and he nods. "Go on and get it," he says softly.

Not yet in the place where he's ready to crawl, Liam rises to his feet and goes into the bedroom, removing the collar from the flat box that sits on Sean's dresser. Returning to the front of the house, Liam finds Sean in the living room, the chicken nowhere in sight. With a smile, Liam kneels in front of Sean, offering the collar in his upraised hands, his head up but eyes down.

Sean takes the collar and slides his fingers over Liam's throat, both corners of his mouth tilted up. _He's so fucking beautiful._ "This boy's welcome to his collar and to his Master's affection, and his Master's very pleased to take him," Sean murmurs. Maybe it's silly having a ritual like this. Sean's always loved it. He buckles it on, tests the fit, and sighs out a long breath. " _Mine._ "

"Yours, Master," Liam says, looking up at Sean before turning his head to kiss Sean's hand. "Master's boy." It's good to say it and once more Liam feels grounded by the very fact of belonging.

"Mmm. My boy's been very good to me today. Fucking good blowjob. Brought me a present." Sean's eyes are dancing. "Going to have to think of something particularly good to reward you with."

"Your boy is glad to have pleased you Master," Liam says, looking at Sean a little nervously. "Perhaps Master would choose to reward his boy by forgetting all about the present?" He can't bring himself to say "rubber chicken" without laughing; hell, even thinking about it is causing his lips to twitch as he tries to hold back a grin.

" _Oh_ no. You're not that _clucky_." Sean grins ear-to-ear as he makes the worst pun in recent memory.

"Master?" Liam says groaning. "I say this with all due respect but... sod off."

"That's it. Go bend yourself over the couch." Sean points.

"Bastard," Liam mutters, as he bends over the couch and catches sight of the damn chicken. It looks even more absurd just lying there on one of the brown throw pillows. _I can do this. I can let him beat me with that thing and not laugh._ It is going to be, Liam realizes, one of the hardest things he's ever had to do.

Sean comes around the couch and slides his hand up Liam's back, running fingers through Liam's hair before snatching up the chicken and heading back behind Liam with it. Clutching it by the legs once more, he gives it another few practice swings. _Damn thing's going to have a hell of a lot of inertia. Not very easy to swing, either. Best be careful. Better not hit him too hard._ "I think for once I'm not going to make you thank me for them," Sean says seriously.

"Your boy is grateful, Master," Liam says already fighting back a laugh. _At least this room hasn't got any mirrors,_ he thinks. _I can't see the practice swings._

"Ready?" Sean asks. "Here we are. First one." And he thwacks Liam across the arse with the chicken, impact causing the chicken's head to flail about wildly as the rubber bounces away. _Oh God oh God oh God don't laugh don't fucking laugh._

Gritting his teeth so hard he fears for his molars is the only thing keeps Liam from laughing. It doesn't help that Sean really didn't hit him all that hard and so he doesn't have the pain to distract him from the fact that Sean's using a rubber chicken on Liam's arse. _Not going to laugh ... come on Neeson, you can do it._

Sean doesn't even try to count off the second one for Liam. There's no way he'd make it without laughing. This time he swings the chicken harder, knowing what it feels like when it hits Liam's arse, knowing he can go a good deal harder and that his aim isn't going to be a problem.

The second blow is hard and lands with a dull thud on Liam's arse, further distracting him from the humor of the situation. _A few more like that and I won't care what he's beating me with._

 _Let's see if he can get through the third,_ Sean thinks, and with that, he lets the third stroke fly, chicken hurtling through the air and landing with a loud rubbery _splat_ against Liam's arse. Sean almost loses it right then and there, but that wouldn't be fair to Liam; he wants to see if Liam can hold out through a third without laughing. _Don't know if I want him to or not,_ Sean has to admit.

"Fuck," Liam grunts. He's giving up trying to figure out what to compare the thing to and is just dealing with the way it feels, thuddy but there's just a little sting to it too. It won't ever become one of his favorite things to be hit with -- _thank Christ_ \--- but it's not too bad as long as you don't have to look at it.

"Jesus," Sean says. "Made it through three, boy." He glances at the chicken in his hand and shakes his head, starting to snort. "You sure you wouldn't rather have me beat you with something else?"

"Jaysus, Master," Liam says with a loud exhalation of breath that isn't quite laughter. "If Master would permit, his boy would go down on his knees and beg to be beaten with something other than that ... thing." _I get him all day tomorrow,_ Liam thinks but it's too soon to try and figure out what to do with Sean.

"Oh, I'd like that," Sean agrees immediately. He takes a step back, swinging the chicken from side to side. He's barely able to keep the laughter in. "Beg me not to beat you with a rubber chicken, boy."

Now Liam loses it, laughing as he slides off the sofa and on to his knees. "Please Master," he gets out, "your boy begs ... from right here on his knees ... his Master to not beathimanymorewiththerubberchicken." Another gasp of breath and he's laughing again. "I'm serious Master," he tries to assure Sean. "Please no more chicken?"

Sean drops the chicken to the floor with a rubbery _thud_ and wraps an arm around his sides, covering his mouth with his hand as the laughing turns to wheezing and then coughing. "Oh fuck," he finally manages, "oh _fuck_ , no more chicken, no more chicken."

"No chicken," Liam says, "Yes master." He breaks up again, looking at the floor in hopes that if he doesn't look at Sean he will be able to stop laughing. That hope is dashed when he realizes that Sean dropped the chicken right in front of him. He doesn't exactly break position but brings a hand up to his eyes. "Can't look...."

"We're both fucking insane," Sean gasps out, leaning forward to wrap an arm around Liam's shoulders. "Jesus Christ. Thank you for the--for the," and Sean's laughing so hard tears are leaking from his eyes, "thankyouforthechickenboy," he manages, gasping.

"No fair," Liam groans, reaching up to grab Sean's hand. "Jaysus .... can't stop laughing." It's actually getting almost painful and he squeezes Sean's hand hard.

"Got through the beating without laughing," Sean points out, and although the thought brings on more laughter at first -- _my God, he let me beat him with a rubber chicken_ \-- it sobers him up fast. "Christ. You get me from dawn to dusk tomorrow. Promised you."

That fact is as sobering to Liam as it is to Sean; he's never formally topped Sean and he's not that sure how it's going to go. "Master," he says, "this boy is willing to forgo that offer if you ... if Master would prefer."

"I'm still game," Sean murmurs. "But I think before we get there, my boy might like something first..." He runs his hand down Liam's body, curling it around his cock and squeezing. Liam's not completely hard at this point -- Jesus, Sean's impressed that he's even half hard after being beaten with a rubber... chicken... _oh, stop smirking, Beanie, or you'll be paying for it in the morning._

"Your boy would like whatever Master chooses to give him," Liam replies, breathing a little harder when Sean's hand closes around his cock. "Provided the chicken isn't involved." He snorts a little but holding back the laughter is getting easier, the longer Sean touches him.

Sean leans forward to bite at Liam's shoulder. "No chicken," he murmurs, stroking a little more steadily now. "Well..." he pauses, licks over the bite, then drops his head to Liam's shoulder. "Could make you choke the chicken for me..." And he's snorting all over again.

"With all due respect Master," Liam says, "Bugger off."

Sean pulls back and lifts an eyebrow. "That a challenge?" he asks archly.

"Not unless you want it to be," Liam says with a smile. "Master, your boy was hoping to be beaten with something a little less ... upsetting. Wouldn't say no to a round of buggery of course." He's not sure if he's pushing there or not; he does know that topping from below is one of his less admirable qualities as a slave.

"A little less upsetting," Sean says, dropping his forehead into the palm of his hand. "And my boy's asking for beating and buggery," he says, looking back up and lifting his eyebrows. "Don't remember asking for suggestions."

 _Shite, I did it again,_ Liam thinks.

"No Master," he says. "Your boy apologizes, Master." He can't help a sigh, as he feels it's once again clear how bad he is at this.

"My boy's forgiven," Sean says, cupping Liam's cheek in his hand and coming near to kiss him, softly, running his tongue along Liam's lower lip.

Moaning into the kiss, Liam stifles the urge to protest. _You let me off too easy,_ he wants to say. The irony of the thought doesn't escape him and he wonders if he'll ever learn to just let go.

Sean wraps a hand around Liam's cock and squeezes hard as he pulls away from the kiss. "My boy's forgiven," he murmurs, "but he's not getting what he wanted. No beatings, no fucking. I want you face down on my bed with your hands behind your back."

"Yes Master," Liam says tensing a little as he goes down on his hands and knees. Hands behind his back usually means being restrained and he can't help remembering the first time Sean tied him down and how Liam safeworded after about a minute. Slowly over the last couple of months, Liam's been learning to deal with being cuffed to the bed or other pieces of furniture. No walls yet, but he can see a time when that might be possible and he knows he'll have Sean and his double clips to thank for it.

 _I wonder if he takes such care because Pierce didn't,_ Liam thinks -- not for the first time -- as he crawls back to Sean's neat bedroom.

Sean follows along, taking in the tension in Liam's body. It's still not easy for Liam, but being restrained is something he can take now, something he can do. Limited situations, and there's no way in hell Sean would spring it on him unannounced or put him in a set of cuffs he couldn't get out of on his own if he needed to, but it's something. More than they were at when they started. And Sean's proud of Liam for it, and grateful for whatever role he's taken in Liam's recovery.

Watching Liam crawl is always arousing. Liam's body isn't fluidly graceful like some boys Sean's seen, but God, the man manages to loom even from all fours, and Sean always feels heat curl in his lower belly at the sight of it. He goes to the dresser as Liam climbs up on the bed, and finds leather cuffs with double clips, a blindfold, and the omnipresent bottle of lube.

There's no way that a 6'4" man can get gracefully onto a bed from the floor and Liam doesn't even try. Once settled, he puts his hands on the small of his back, wrists crossed, and takes a deep breath. "Trust you," he says softly, much in the way he might say "love you," under similar circumstances with someone else. But it's not love, although he feels a great affection for Sean and knows that he always will, and in a way the gift of trust is even harder to give than love.

"I know," Sean murmurs, sliding onto the bed beside Liam. He puts down his supplies and runs both hands up Liam's arms -- _fucking gorgeous_ \-- and then comes up, straddling Liam's thighs and pressing his body flat against Liam's so he can slip the blindfold over Liam's eyes. With Liam's hands at the small of his back it delivers Sean's cock directly into them, and Sean squirms a bit, whispering "Hope my boy's not of a mind to take liberties with this position" as he gets the blindfold on properly.

"Your boy will behave," Liam replies, already short of breath at the feel of the blindfold. He's always liked blindfolds, for some reason they make him feel safe, but now it means he also has to concentrate in order to remember that it's Sean on the other side of the blindfold.

"However," he adds, trying for levity. "He hopes his Master will realize how great a sacrifice this boy is making."

Sean chuckles and squirms a bit against Liam's hands, cock still soft after his earlier orgasm, but the sensation's very pleasant. "Not so great as all that," he murmurs, "especially not compared to my boy, but ah, who is..." And he licks over the shell of Liam's ear before beginning a slow crawl down Liam's body, nipping and licking down Liam's back as he goes.

"Oddly enough, I really don't like that," Liam says forgetting formal speech. "The jokes about my size; it's embarrassing a lot of the time you know." _What in hell made me say that now? The anonymity of the blindfold?_

Sean lifts an eyebrow, still licking his way down, not letting Liam's thought process stop him and not trying to interrupt. "Isn't meant to be," he murmurs, when Liam pauses, and by now he's licked his way down to Liam's hands and flicks his tongue out over one of Liam's palms. "Only something blokes joke about. Pub humor." He nips at the tip of one of Liam's fingers. "Wouldn't call it your--" _don't say "biggest"_ \-- "strongest selling point as a lover." He sucks Liam's fingertip into his mouth, licks around it. "But it's not at all a bad thing."

"Mmmmmm," Liam rumbles when Sean sucks on his finger. "Didn't think you were trying to embarrass me Master," he says. "Just ... makes me feel weird at times. Like I should apologize for having something other blokes think would make their lives so much better."

"We all think having something we're not, being something we're not, would make our lives so much better." Sean nuzzles against Liam's palm, amazed again by how strong and big Liam's hands are, and how much Liam's willing to give over when he's here, under Sean, wearing his collar. "Wish it were easier being content with what we have." He nips at Liam's thumb. "Do you think you're ready to have the cuffs on, boy?"

Grateful that Sean asked, Liam still wishes his master didn't have to be so careful around him. "Please, Master," he says. "Your boy is ready." He takes a deep breath and then lets it out, trying to overcome the instinctive rush of fear. _This is Sean; I trust him. And I can get out if I need to._

Sean's careful about putting the leather cuffs on, careful about the double clips. He makes sure they're well in range of Liam's thumbs, that Liam could release them with a flick of his thumb -- more realistically, a few harsh awkward movements but ones certain to bear out -- if he needed it. It's been hard work getting just this far, and Sean's been damned proud of Liam for all of it. He presses his face against Liam's fingers again once Liam's cuffed, and gives Liam another soft little lick against his palm. "Good boy," he murmurs.

It's always good when Liam can get past that initial resistance to being cuffed. It's not just knowing that he's pleased Sean, although that's a big part of it, it's also that Liam genuinely likes being restrained. He likes the feeling of it, the way it makes him feel vulnerable and emotionally open to whatever Sean's about to do.

Sean moves lower, across Liam's fingertips, and then moves to the small of Liam's back, tongue gliding down into the cleft of his arse. No more talking; he's just making soft, pleased sounds as his tongue works its way down, further and further, until Sean brings his hands up, holding Liam's cheeks apart and licking at his opening.

"Oh fuck," Liam whispers. He loves it when Sean does this even though he supposes a true slave would protest that it was their place to give rather than receive. As far as Liam sees it, if his master wants to rim him, then it's Liam's place to lie there and enjoy it.

The sentiment's certainly shared by Sean, and as soon as he's got his tongue worked far enough into Liam's arse to start up a soft, wriggling rhythm, tongue fucking in and curling as it works its way out, he slides his hands to Liam's hips, nails digging in there and scratching over skin, down the sides of Liam's thighs.

"Jaysus," Liam groans. Sean's trying to turn him inside out -- hell he's not just trying, he's succeeding -- and all Liam can is lie there and feel everything Sean wants him to feel. "So fucking good," he moans as his fingers move restlessly across each other.

" _Mmm._ " Sean glances up, draws his tongue away for a moment. "Does my boy think he can manage this a while?" he asks, trailing fingernails back up to Liam's hip.

"Manage?" Liam asks, his voice husky and low. "This boy doesn't get his Master's meaning."

"Does my boy think he can hold out through this without coming 'til I tell him it's time?" Sean clarifies, grinning. _Manage indeed, it's like asking a bloke if he can put up with a blowjob._

"Your boy can, Master," Liam says, even knowing that it's a pretty rash promise. _If he wants me to come, there's not much I can do like this to stop it._

"Let's find out," Sean grins, only this time it's not just going back to licking Liam's hole; it's a matter of grabbing for the lube and slicking his fingers with it. He slides two into Liam's arse -- being kind enough not to curl them just yet -- and then he's moving back down, tongue poking out between his lips in a grin before he starts moving his fingers in and out, licking around them, watching Liam's muscles tighten around his fingers before giving Liam more slow, lazy, flickering licks.

"Oh Christ ... Jesus," Liam moans. "Master said nothing ... about his fingers," he gets out through gritted teeth, knowing it doesn't matter at all.

"Master likes giving his boy a challenge," Sean grins, between slow twists of his fingers and warm licks around them. The pace stays slow, steady, no rush, only a sense that Sean could keep this up all afternoon. _Which I could,_ he thinks, smirking, planning to keep Liam as close to the edge as he can for as long as Liam can put up with it.

"God," Liam moans softly, putting all his energy into holding back for as long as he can. Sean's methodical nature is one of the things Liam likes about him; it's exciting in some way to know that Sean will stay here as long as it takes. _Which really won't be much longer,_ Liam thinks with another moan, this one louder.

The moans are almost as beautiful as the tiny motions of Liam's hands, everything concentrated into giving Sean what he's asked for -- _not 'til I say_ \-- and Sean grins, finally moving out of those long twisting strokes and into curling his fingers up inside Liam. Now it's more of a press and a glide and soft strokes with his tongue, the same press and glide and Sean's teeth grazing over to Liam's cheek, digging in and biting, soft at first, then harder.

"Trying ... to fucking ... kill me," Liam groans, his hands twisting harder now, fighting the cuffs even though he's not sure what he would do if he could get free. _Spread myself open for him and beg like a whore, probably._ Sean's biting pulls another groan out of him; there's something so incredibly _intimate_ about being bruised in a place only Sean will see.

"Oh, you're not going to die from it," Sean grins. He does turn his attention to Liam's other cheek, though, biting, bruising, leaving his mark. _My mark. On my boy. Mine._ "Not going to die because you can come when you're ready."

For some perverse reason, being given permission makes Liam fight the orgasm off even more fiercely. "Thank you ... Master," he gets out through gritted teeth as his head tosses restlessly on the pillow.

 _When you're ready_ is such an interesting gauge of where someone's thoughts are. Sean's not sure whether Liam's trying to be a good boy, whether he's just trying to get as much sensation as he can, or whether he's holding out as long as he can out of stubbornness, but in any case, Sean's not going to make it easy for him to hold out. He's got three fingers in Liam now, and he's fucking his boy with them roughly, digging the fingernails of his other hand into Liam's hip while he alternates between sharp sucking bites across Liam's cheeks and long, easy licks around his fingers while they move in and out of Liam's body.

It seems like forever before Liam lets himself go, although in reality it's probably no more than two or three minutes. And it's better for having waited, even if he's not really thinking about that or anything coherent really. All Liam knows is that it's so good it almost hurts, so good that all he can manage is an almost silent scream, so good it leaves him stunned and gasping when he's done.

Sean keeps going until the clench of Liam's body grows hard enough to tell him it's getting painful, and then he pulls out, nipping lightly at Liam's arse before running a hand over Liam's arms. "Going to get these off you now," he murmurs, unbuckling the first cuff and keeping a gentle grip on Liam's arm until he can ease both arms back onto the bed.

"Thank you," Liam murmurs, shivering a little. "God that was ... your boy thanks his Master." He likes this about Sean, likes Sean's ability to render him breathless and speechless and -- right now at least -- essentially boneless as well.

"Master thanks his boy," Sean says in return, sliding up the bed to remove Liam's blindfold. "You make me proud," he says, a little more softly. _And you make me sound like a sentimental bastard,_ he thinks, but he's not going to let himself feel too badly about that; if there's any time to tell Liam how proud he is, now's a good one.

It feels damn good to make Sean proud, Liam realizes. _Might be more of a sub than I'd imagined,_ he thinks as he blinks and tilts his face toward Sean, silently asking for a kiss.

Sean curves his hand over Liam's cheek and leans in, brushing his lips against Liam's once, then again, and finally sliding his tongue in past Liam's lips and moaning softly with it.

Too relaxed to move much -- so relaxed that he doesn't even care about the wet spot -- Liam kisses Sean back, making his own soft moaning noises. _Safe,_ he thinks. _I feel safe enough with him to even do silly shite like bring him a rubber chicken._

"Come here," Sean whispers, sliding an arm under Liam's shoulders and tugging him closer, wrapping Liam up in his arms. "Master's very glad to have you, boy."

"Even when your boy shows up on your doorstep with a rubber chicken?" Liam asks with a smile as he leans against Sean contentedly.

"Maybe especially then," Sean smiles back. "Reminds me not to take everything so bloody seriously. And a boy that full of surprises..." The promise of tomorrow comes back to mind in a rush, and Sean can feel himself flushing red. "...is sure as hell worth rolling over for," he says. "Just please... leave the chicken out of it."

"Damn," Liam murmurs. "And here was Master's boy, planning on gagging Master with it."

Sean gives Liam a light punch on the shoulder. "You just try it," he says, mock-growling out the almost-threat.

"Would this boy really do that to his Master?" Liam asks, beginning to lose headspace. _If Sean truly means to go under,_ he thinks, _then why's he putting limitations on what I can do?_

"I hope not." Sean slides his fingers through Liam's hair, brushing it back off his forehead. "Maybe I owe you one for the chicken flogging, though."

And just like that, Liam's brief moment of irritation is gone. He's just too comfortable to be annoyed with Sean. "Mmmm," he murmurs leaning into Sean's caress. "This boy deserved the chicken flogging for bringing the chicken over in the first place. Let's just agree that we're even, yeah?"

"Even so far," Sean agrees. "Do you want to nap for a while?"

"Love to," Liam says, his voice sleepy, "provided this boy can roll off the wet spot."

Sean chuckles and moves over, giving Liam enough room to do the same. "Better?"

"Mmmmhmm." Liam moves over, hoping he's not being too clingy as he leans against Sean. _I'm getting over being sick,_ he says to himself. _And I just had one hell of an orgasm; I'm entitled to cling a little._ As his eyes begin to close he tries to convince himself that those are the only reasons. Anything else ... well that's a place he's not sure it's safe to go.

Sean's grinning as he lets his own eyes close, not minding Liam's clinginess a bit. It's so _good_ when they're like this -- when it's quiet and there's a balance between joking with each other and being serious together. _Good enough I'm glad he's not going anywhere anytime soon,_ he thinks as he drifts off.

***

Dinner's always good with Liam in Sean's home, but dessert is better still. With Liam on his knees on the floor and Sean sitting up on the table, Sean can lean down and feed him dessert a spoonful at a time, which is even better when the ice cream's just a little melty.

Liam's always found it funny that his favorite flavor of ice cream is vanilla, but it is. He's not much for sweets and the really complicated ice cream flavors -- such as most Ben & Jerry's -- are way too much for him. And so here he is, on his knees being fed vanilla ice cream by his Master. After he takes the next mouthful, his tongue snakes out to catch a wayward drip from the corner of his mouth and he smiles up at Sean, his eyes amused at the irony of it all.

"Mmm. Sexy boy," Sean murmurs, shifting on the table after that flicker of tongue. And there's something wonderful and naughty about taking something as inherently _un_ -naughty as vanilla ice cream and turning it into something Sean wants to lick off Liam's lips, off his chin when the drips are a little too messy.

"Master looks uncomfortable," Liam says looking up at Sean innocently. "Can this boy do anything to help his Master?"

"Master's too warm," Sean teases. "Perhaps my boy could help me cool off a bit?"

"Does Master mind if his boy gets something to help?" Liam asks. "Your boy's not going to dump ice water on his master, or anything like that," he adds quickly.

"Would my boy do something like that?" Sean asks, arching an eyebrow. "Go ahead, boy."

"Never, Master," Liam replies with a slight smirk as he gets to his feet. "Wouldn't dream of it." Moving over to the cupboard, he takes out a glass and then fills it with ice and cold water from the fridge. "May your boy remove your shirt?" he asks, setting the glass on the table where he can reach around Sean and pick it up when he needs it.

"Mm-hm..." Sean sits up straighter, ready to move his arms when Liam needs him to. He's intrigued; he loves it when his boy has initiative, and he's curious as hell where all this is leading.

Reaching around Sean's shoulders, Liam begins to unbutton Sean's shirt, pressing kisses to Sean's thick blond hair as he does. Once the shirt's undone, he eases it off Sean, pausing very pointedly to fold it neatly and put it on one of the empty chairs.

Liam then takes a drink from the glass and holds the cold water in his mouth for a moment, before swallowing. He then bends and kisses the back of Sean's neck, right below the hairline, licking at Sean's warm skin with a very cool tongue.

Sean moans, tipping his head forward just a little to give Liam better access. "Fuck, that feels good," he murmurs. _Go on, tease at the back of my neck 'til I pound you into the table._ It might not cool either of them off, but he doubts they'd have any complaints.

Working over Sean's neck and the back of his shoulders, Liam continues the pattern -- a drink of water and then a kiss that leads to licking before he takes another drink. After several months, he knows most of Sean's sensitive spots and he makes sure to hit them all before he finally stops and kneels next to the chair.

"Please Master will you turn and face your boy?" he asks, trying not to smirk too much.

Sean's got just enough patience in him to turn and face Liam, elbows on his knees, although that last lick along his shoulder's got him wanting to turn Liam over and leave bruises on the fronts of his thighs from being fucked into the table. _Patience, man. When has being with Liam ever not been worth being patient for?_

Rather than go for the obvious after he cools his mouth down, Liam leans in and licks a trail down Sean's breastbone to his navel. He dips his tongue in, rather pointedly mimicking Sean's earlier actions. _Jaysus, wonder how he'd react if I rimmed him in between drinks of ice water._

Sean sucks in a breath and holds it as Liam works his way down. God, Liam's tongue feels good. And one of the things Sean loves about him as a sub is that when he's feeling confident like this, it shows in every move he makes. "Christ, boy," Sean whispers.

Liam smiles but says nothing as he takes another drink of water. One of the ice cubes has melted down small enough for him to let it slide into his mouth without being noticeable and he moves in close, putting his mouth on the level of Sean's nipple. Another quick smile up at his master and then he's sucking the nipple into his mouth, pressing the piece of ice against the rapidly hardening flesh.

Jerking just a little, Sean's got one hand up and his fingers curled into Liam's hair before the sting from the ice can start to wear off. It's an effort not to tug Liam straight back. "Devious boy," Sean breathes.

"Mmmmm," Liam hums before scraping his teeth over Sean's nipple.

Teeth on top of cold. Sean's own teeth bite together, and he hisses in a breath, tightening his fingers in Liam's hair. " _Mine_ ," he whispers.

Encouraged by Sean's reaction -- more than encouraged really; Sean's words bring Liam's already interested cock to full hardness -- Liam bites down harder, reaching for the glass of water as he does. He puts it on the floor and blindly reaches into it for a piece of ice. There's no way he can hide the action from Sean and so he's blatant about bringing it up to Sean's other nipple.

Sean's fingers do tighten, but it's to keep Liam here, not to drag his teeth away. "Good boy," Sean growls out. Damn, and there's the ice again, but Sean doesn't back away from that, either. " _Fuck._ My boy's looking to get himself fucked over the table, isn't he?"

Raising his mouth from Sean's nipple, Liam tries to keep from looking too eager, although he has a feeling he's failing. "Your boy is looking for whatever his master chooses to give him," he says. He'd beg for it if given the slightest indication that Sean wants to hear him, but for now he settles for switching sides, bending his head to bite Sean's recently iced nipple.

" _Mmm._ " Sean finally uses his grip on Liam's hair to tug him back, pull his teeth away from Sean's skin. "Get up," he growls. "Bend yourself over the table, and hold your arse open for me."

Tossing the remaining sliver of ice on the floor, Liam eagerly gets to his feet, moving to the empty part of the table. He can feel his neck getting hot; no matter how much he wants to be fucked, it's utterly embarrassing to do this. And yet, within a moment, there he is, his shoulders and cheek resting on the smooth wood as he reaches back and spreads his arse lewdly for Sean.

Sean's never been more glad for his kitchen's organization. He doesn't have to take his eyes off Liam to find the drawer with condoms and lube in it, doesn't have to stop thinking about how it's going to feel to sink balls-deep into Liam's arse in order to get a condom and lube and come back over to the table. He presses his body up against Liam's, letting Liam feel his cock against the cleft of his arse. " _Mine,_ " Sean murmurs. "Do you want it enough to beg for it, boy?"

 _Jaysus, begging after being positioned like this. Fuck; he's so good at this._ Humiliation's another thing that Sean's slowly worked with on Liam over the last few months. And now, the shame that coils in the pit of Liam's stomach is the exciting kind, the kind that makes his face burn and his cock throb and his voice shake. "Please, Master," he says quietly, sure that Sean will know this for a need to be pushed and not an admission that that's all the begging that Liam's capable of.

" _Please, Master,_ " Sean breathes, reaching between them to pop open the first of his jeans buttons. "Come on, boy. Tell me how much you want it."

"Please," Liam repeats. "Want it, Master, your boy wants you to fuck him."

"Christ, but my boy's such a beautiful fucking whore for me," Sean murmurs, popping all the rest of his buttons in one tug. "Such a gorgeous greedy slut." He tugs his jeans down his thighs and then steps close again, bare skin of his cock gliding up against Liam's cleft. "Does my slut want to be taken hard?" he asks, sliding a hand up the center of Liam's back.

"God yes," Liam groans, his voice finally showing his desperation. "Please Master .... your boy begs to be fucked hard," he continues, sliding his legs a little further apart and knowing he must look utterly obscene. "Please Master ... please?"

Sean gets the condom out and rolls latex over his cock, but then pauses with three fingertips pressing at Liam's opening. "Is my boy such a slut he doesn't need lube to take me?" he asks, just barely wiggling the tips of his fingers inside.

"Your boy is as much a slut as his master wants him to be," Liam says, pushing back against Sean's fingers. "He wants it so much Master." And he does; as always Sean has him desperate and embarrassed, which makes him even more desperate.

Sean slides all three fingers into his mouth, getting them thoroughly wet, and then presses them between Liam's legs again, works them into Liam's body. "Good slut," he whispers. "Good boys take what their Masters want to give them," he says, louder now with a grin all over his face. "And your Master wants to give you his cock, with just the lube on the condom and a bit of spit to get him inside you."

"Jaysus," Liam gasps, shoving back even hard against Sean's fingers and relishing the burn as they open him up. "Want to be a good boy for you Master," he says. "Want to take it like that. Please?"

"My good boy. My devious little slut," Sean growls, thrusting his fingers in deep, twisting them, working Liam's arse open. "This is how you're getting it." Sean gives Liam one more thrust with his fingers and then pulls back, wrapping a hand around the base of his cock and shoving the first inch in _hard_.

"Fuck!" Liam yells, his fingers digging into his own flesh hard as Sean shoves in. It hurts like bloody hell and Liam can feel his cock get even harder in response to the pain. "Thank you Master," he says, gasping the words out.

"You're fucking _welcome_ ," Sean growls, grinning broadly as he works the next inches in. It's never easy, this first rough slide; it means moving his hips back, pressing forward again, gasping at the tightness as he forces his way past resistance. And it's _always_ worth it; there's nothing like the feel of being squeezed damn near to the point of pain once he's balls-deep in Liam's arse.

There's no doubt about it, this bloody well _hurts_ and it's all Liam can do to remain still for it. Each short thrust forces a grunt out of him and when Sean's finally in, Liam's breathing hard and trying not to whimper. "Hurts," he gasps as he finally moves his hands out of Sean's way. "Fucking hurts, Master." It's not a complaint and he knows damn well that Sean won't hear it as one.

"And you can take it for me," Sean breathes. "And I fucking love watching you take it. _Christ_ , boy, you're so fucking good--" Good and beautiful and _strong_ , and Sean takes full advantage of that strength now, pounding into Liam so hard Liam's going to be sore all day tomorrow. _And he'll probably take it out on me,_ Sean thinks, which doesn't give him pause for a moment.

It's a strange moment, bent over a table while he's being fucked with no real lube, but hearing Sean say the word _love_ suddenly makes Liam face something he's been ignoring for ... well a while. _Never mind that; just pay attention to the cock up your arse, boy,_ he tells himself.

It's easy enough to do and Liam moans, pushing back against Sean. "Fuck yes! Christ ... hurts and I want ... to take it for you ... Master!"

"Good boy," Sean pants. "My good slut." And oh, _fuck_ , yes, fucking Liam this hard and this fast has him close already. "Tell me why I should come in you," Sean growls. "Why does my boy deserve to have his master's cock jerk for him, his master coming inside him?" He can think of a dozen reasons, and he still won't be surprised if Liam finds something entirely different to offer.

There are any number of answers, but Liam -- who's finding it hard to think at all -- goes for the obvious one. "Because," he gasps, "it would please Master." _Or you could pull out, pull the condom off and come on my arse,_ he thinks, groaning at the mental image.

"It would," Sean pants, "please me," but then, so would something else, and Sean pulls back and strips the condom off. " _Knees_."

"God," Liam moans as Sean pulls out. He's sensitive enough that it still hurts when he moves, that strange combination of hurt and emptiness he always feels after being fucked hard and mostly dry. Quickly turning and kneeling, he lets his mouth fall open a little, hoping he's guessed at what Sean's going to do. _Such a fucking whore,_ he thinks as he waits.

"Good boy," Sean grins, reaching up to tilt Liam's head back just a little further, get his lips just where Sean wants them, hand working his cock the entire time. And it doesn't take long. Not long at all, not with Liam watching him that way, and Sean comes hard, painting Liam's face with streaks, trying to land them against his lips and his tongue but quickly losing his ability to do more than shout and come and let the jets fall where they may, over Liam's cheeks, his chin, one drop falling between them and hitting the kitchen tile.

It's hard fighting the urge to swallow, but Liam knows better and manages to wait until Sean's finished. As soon as that happens, Liam swallows and licks at his lips and what skin he can reach beyond them, knowing that he probably looks like a cat trying to groom without the use of his paws. "Thank you Master," he says, his voice hoarse with his own need.

"You're welcome," Sean growls, dropping to his knees and reaching behind Liam's neck with one hand while he wraps his other around Liam's cock. He kisses Liam hard, feeling come smear across both their faces, licking up his come with warm broad strokes while he jerks Liam off fast and hard.

"God please," Liam pants against Sean's mouth. "Please Master ... need it ... boy needs to come ... please?"

" _Yes_ ," Sean growls, "come, boy, come for me, _now_."

With a strangled cry, Liam thrusts up into Sean's hand and comes, his hands clutching convulsively at Sean's arms. When he's done, he finds himself leaning on Sean, his head resting on Sean's shoulder. "God," he pants. "Jaysus ... Master ... thank you."

Sean wraps his arm around Liam's shoulders, tugging him in close. "Good boy," he murmurs. " _Fucking_ good boy. So damned good for me. God, you please me." And he's got more words than that, ones that roll his stomach over and give him a twist in his chest, but if he's going to give those words to Liam he wants it to be man to man, and not master to boy. Later. _Later, yeah, but not too much so._

"Good," Liam says breathlessly. "Want to please you, Master," he adds, still having a hard time talking. Humiliation takes him way down and right now he feels vulnerable and needy, something that worries him at times. _Don't want to cling; don't want to be too needy,_ he thinks, beginning the process that will bring him back up from this, as nice as it might be to stay down for a while. _Can't do that to Master._

It doesn't surprise Sean anymore that Liam tends to bring himself up from scenes with humiliation overtones a little more quickly than Sean's expecting. He's never wanted to argue it, but he's never minded Liam clinging, either. And right now the only thing he's objecting to is the cold tile under his arse; if it weren't for that he'd be happy to stay here half the night. He rubs his hands over Liam's back, brushes kisses over his forehead and rubs his nose into Liam's hair. "You do so much for me," he murmurs. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you, Master," Liam says, sighing happily at Sean's nuzzling. "If I can do anything -- any of this -- it's because of you. Without your patience...." His voice trails off, he's getting too close to saying things that have no place in this friendship.

"Boy -- Liam..." Sean strokes the backs of his fingers over Liam's cheek. "Do you understand how grateful I am for everything you've given me? For everything you've tried to give me?" It's unexpectedly sentimental, but Sean's feelings are too near to the surface to cut his words off completely.

"You are?" Liam says, a little annoyed at how needy the words make him feel. "I worry, you know. Worry that I'm not worth the bother." He holds a hand up to forestall any automatic reassurance on Sean's part. "I'm serious; it can't be easy knowing that I could balk at any moment over the simplest thing."

It's a fair concern, and Sean nods, listening, letting Liam know he's taking it in and not going to dismiss him or his words without thought. "It's not easy," he admits, "but it _is_ worth it. There's never been a time I thought it wasn't."

Finding himself blinking a little, Liam tries to shrug it off. But he can't and he finds himself leaning into Sean, touching foreheads with him. "Thank you," he says softly. "Just ... thank you."

Sean strokes his fingers through Liam's hair, going quiet again; it doesn't seem like more words are needed right now. _Not unless you want to give him the ones you've been thinking all day long, ever since he showed up with that damn rubber chicken..._ He waves the idea off. _Not now -- he'll think it's just because of the conversation or because you're trying to reassure him. Give yourselves both time to get the shine off your eyes._

When they've both been quiet a while, Sean groans softly. "I'm getting too old to stay on the tile all night," he murmurs. "Think we could get up and head off to bed?"

"You're too old?" Liam says with mock worry. "What's that make me?" He kneels up and takes Sean's wrist, pulling the other man up as he stands. He occasionally likes to show his strength off, particularly when Sean makes age jokes. The odd thing is that he realized a while back that he wasn't doing it because Sean makes him feel old, but to show Sean that _Sean_ isn't old.

"Makes you the man who keeps me young," Sean teases, grinning at Liam's grip on his wrist. "Come here a minute." He leaves his wrist in Liam's hand but comes in close to wrap his free arm around Liam's waist and hug him hard. "Glad you're mine," he murmurs.

"God yes," Liam replies, savoring the closeness. "So very glad I'm yours." He allows himself to be held for a moment and then pulls back. "Shower then bed? And may Master's boy do the dishes in the morning?" He doesn't want to come right out and say it but he suddenly needs to be in Sean's big bed, curled up with his lover. _Must be still a little wonky from being sick,_ he thinks, knowing the thought for the justification that it is.

"That sounds perfect," Sean agrees. He doesn't care where the thought comes from; right now getting curled around Liam sounds exactly right.

He gets the dishes into the sink and heads to the bathroom with Liam, taking care of his night routine and waiting for Liam to warm the water up. _You're damn lucky, Bean, you realize that?_ he asks himself as he watches Liam.

Once the water is hot, Liam steps into the shower gesturing to Sean to join him. If he could get hard again, the feel of Sean's body, sleek and slick with soap, under Liam's hands would do it. As it is, it's still damn nice to be here in this steamy enclosed space with Sean. "Mmmmm," Liam murmurs. "You feel good."

"So do you," Sean purrs back, getting his hands slick with soap and rubbing them over Liam's shoulders. "It's been a good day," _chicken and all_ , he thinks, and can't stop smiling.

"It has," Liam agrees. _Christ I missed you while I was sick._ It hits him again -- this feeling he's been trying to ignore -- and he wonders how in hell he's going to distance himself. _Just a contract. Just a year._ But it's too good right now -- it's been too good all day -- to fret and so he just concentrates on the moment and Sean's hands moving over him.

After the day's sexual overload, this is much more about closeness and comfort than about getting either one of them off, and Sean enjoys the hell out of that while the hot water's still going. Liam's fucking gorgeous, and Sean doesn't know how anyone -- Liam included -- can miss that. And yeah, Liam's brought a hell of a lot to Sean's life that Sean didn't even realize he needed. Sean sighs just a bit as he rinses soap off Liam's shoulders. _You tell him you're glad to have him one more time and he'll start looking for the alien antennae._

Although pet play with Natasha was all about her "big clumsy puppy" there are times like this when Liam feels much more feline. _Granted cats don't like water, but I swear this man knows how to get me to purr._ He manages one more rumbling "mmmmmm" before he's rinsed off and is stepping out to dry off and kneel, gathering up a towel and waiting for Sean.

And damn if being pampered by his boy doesn't make Sean feel like a cat himself, spoiled and cared for beyond belief. He'd swear his towels never felt this soft before Liam got to them.

He runs his fingertips down Liam's cheek. _I just don't want to say it while he's kneeling,_ he thinks. This time it feels a little more obvious that he's making excuses for himself; he's trying hard to keep the look on his face easy, though.

Liam likes that there's a lot of Sean to dry off and he smiles up at his Master once he's back down on his knees and Sean's fingers are gentle on his cheek. Turning his head, he kisses those strong hands and chuckles a little, amused at the fact that for two fairly large men, they manage to have quiet and yes, tender moments like this.

_I love you._

Liam even opens his mouth to say it before he's once more kissing Sean's fingers, knowing that he can't say it now, no matter how much he wants to. _We didn't sign up for love,_ he tells himself. _We both even told each other that we weren't looking for anything beyond a year._ And while he knows that love happens in contracts like theirs, for Liam love is about permanence and commitment, two things he's sure neither he nor Sean are ready for.

Sean's expression goes soft as Liam kisses his fingers, free hand coming up to draw Liam's hair back away from his face. "Come on," he murmurs. "Bed, lover."

 _That's new,_ Liam thinks, managing not to look surprised when Sean calls him lover. He likes it and figuring that it's a new way of telling him that they aren't in role, gets to his feet, ready to go back to his knees if he's wrong. "That sounds perfect," he says, not sure if he means going to bed or being called lover.

"Good," Sean says. He wraps an arm around Liam's waist and hugs him, and then it's out to the bed, where Sean pulls back the sheets and starts moving pillows around in an effort to get comfortable.

Sliding into bed, Liam winces a little and then grins at Sean. "Me arse hurts," he says, deliberately broadening his accent. "Wonder how that happened."

Sean shoves Liam over on his side and spoons up behind him, grinning into Liam's shoulder. "Can't imagine," he smirks, running a hand down Liam's side, resting his hand on Liam's hip.

"Damn mysterious how stuff like that happens," Liam says, enjoying the fact that, although larger than Sean, he feels comfortable with Sean wrapped around him like this. He slides his hand over Sean's, lacing their fingers together. "Speaking of stuff happening ... hope you didn't mind the chicken too much. Seemed like a good idea at the time, yeah?"

Sean tries not to break into laughter, but he can't help it. "God. No, I didn't mind it," he says. "I should be hoping _you_ didn't mind it too much. You're the one who got beat with the bloody thing."

"Mmmm. You sure showed me the error of my ways," Liam says with a laugh. "It was kind of thuddy," he adds, trying to be serious, "in case you're curious." And then he loses it, cracking up again.

Sean squeezes Liam's chest, burying his face in the back of Liam's neck and pressing close. And he's been holding it back all afternoon, all night, and the words don't want to stay in anymore. "Love you," he murmurs, lips against Liam's skin. He squeezes even harder after saying it; there's a moment of panic as he realizes the words are _out there_ , in the open, _and God, what if he doesn't want that from me?_

Liam's laughter dies as if Sean had flipped a switch. _And really he has,_ Liam thinks, wondering why he's feeling a little light headed. When he figures it out, when he finally breathes again, it's a great heavy inhale that he realizes must sound terrible to Sean.

"God," Liam murmurs as he moves in Sean's arms until they're facing each other. "I've been ... I've been fighting even thinking that for weeks. Been fighting saying it all day." He reaches up and pushes a lock of hair off Sean's forehead. "I love you too."

"God," Sean whispers. "I didn't know if you'd want to hear that from me. Didn't want to say it while you were kneeling." He takes a deep breath and lets it out again. "I love you." Saying it the second time is a hell of a lot easier.

"I wasn't sure either," Liam says with a rueful smile. "Wasn't sure what it meant, if it would get in the way of what we're doing here." He pauses and looks at Sean seriously. "I was never so foolish as to think I'd never love again, but I wasn't so sure it would be any time soon. Thank you."

"Hope it won't get in the way," Sean murmurs. "I don't think it will. And every time I fall in love it's a surprise to me. Never think it's going to happen, and then one day I'm looking at someone and realizing..." Sean shakes his head, laughs. "Fuck. Stop me or I'll start quoting poetry at you."

"I might like the poetry, ya big girl's blouse," Liam replies. Not bothering to ask for permission, he moves forward and kisses Sean hard, wanting them to be equal for this moment.

And Sean kisses back just as hard, wanting the feeling that they're on equal footing for this, needing to know that right now.

"Mmmmm ... nice," Liam says as they finally pull apart a little. Looking oddly shy, he adds, "any idea what this does to us? Or are you more of a 'let's just go along and see what happens' kind of person." It's strange to have to ask when they've been so physically and emotionally intimate already. "Not pushing," he hastily says. "Just ... curious."

"I hadn't thought about what it does to us in any detail," Sean admits. "Had enough of a time trying to just get the words out. But I'm not really a 'go along and see what happens' sort of bloke, you know? I like thinking that I know what's coming up." He reaches up, runs his thumb over Liam's chin. "So far I just know I want you in and out of role. So when the contract's up..." And that's months from now, Sean realizes, shaking his head. "I don't want the contract to be the only reason we're together."

"It hasn't been for me," Liam says, suddenly realizing that this has been coming for a while even if he only did see it today. "At least not for the last couple of weeks."

Half of Sean's immediate feeling is relief; the other half has just a hint of nervousness, something he deals with by sliding his hand into Liam's and squeezing. "Every time I see you the first thing I think is _that's my lover_ , not _that's my boy_. For a while now." Sean shakes his head, laughs a little, but it's not exactly a laugh brought out of humor. "God, Liam -- I don't want to fuck things up."

"You won't," Liam says with confidence. "We won't," he adds with a slight grin. "After all, you still like having me kneel for you, don't you?" His voice gets husky. "Still like seeing me crawl, like having me bent over furniture for you to fuck, like coming on my face...."

"Love all of it," Sean growls, pressing closer to Liam and brushing his lips over Liam's cheek. "Didn't know how much I'd like having a boy until I had you."

"I wish I were better at it," Liam says ruefully. "No," he adds before Sean can say anything. "I know I push too much and that I'm not as submissive as I should be. I'm just grateful that what I do suits you."

"It does suit me. And I'm not sure I'd be any better at it if our roles were reversed right now." _And what if he wants that from me someday? Christ, you're getting ahead of yourself..._ "We suit better than I thought we would," Sean finishes. "And I like that."

"Yeah, me too," Liam says. "So maybe we should just ... go with it and see what develops." He leans in and kisses Sean again briefly. "Keep to the contract and then figure things out next summer. Won't be easy with this circus I'll have going for Star Wars but if we want it to work...." He has to trail off there, sure that he's pushing too hard.

"Can't be worse than doing _Sharpe_ for the last five months of the year in Turkey. Or Siberia. We'll manage." And he grins, feeling like a seventeen-year-old the way he always does when he thinks about Liam and his next big role. "Fucking _Star Wars_."

"I wish," Liam begins, but no, it's way too early to talk about stuff like that. "Yeah," he says with a grin as he makes the lightsaber noises. "Fucking _Star Wars_."

"Just promise you won't use your Jedi mind tricks on me," Sean teases, and then pauses. "And then there's the idea of being captured by Darth Bean..."

"You want to stop making stupid jokes," Liam intones, waving his hand in front of Sean's face. "Christ, at least come up with a better evil name than that. Darth Sharpe maybe? Whose symbol is a bloody big chicken?"

"I want to stop making stupid jokes," Sean says immediately, features sliding into a slightly blank look. It holds for just long enough to make Liam grin, and then Sean goes on with, "Anyway, Darth Sharpe's bad enough it could actually make it into the movie. But I can't fucking wait to see you in long hair and robes and boots." _Oh, Christ, the boots._ Sean goes red and is grateful that the room's too dark for Liam to see it. Or he _hopes_ it's too dark.

"You'll like the boots," Liam says. "I know I've shown you pictures but ... well what in hell were they gonna do with three pairs of boots in my size? So I helped them solve the problem. Left them two pair for costume exhibits and shit like that and," he leans in to whisper in Sean's ear, "I kept a pair. Go almost to my knees they do."

" _Fucking_ hell." Sean groans. "We're never going to get to sleep this way. Just going to keep each other up all night thinking about boots." He runs a fingertip down Liam's arm. "Major Sharpe needs a boy to care for his boots," he whispers. "Know anyone qualified for the position?"

Liam wants to tease back and ask who's keeping whom awake now but he swallows hard instead. "I know a boy who would happily care for the Major's boots and any other needs the Major had. He'd do it gladly and eagerly."

"And the Major's weapons. He'd need to care for those." Sean groans. He's thinking more than anything about the Major's pistols and wishing he'd gotten one of those as well as the sword at the end of the series... _but we could improvise..._

"Christ," Liam whispers. "Master, your boy would be more than happy to look after your weapons." _I may not be capable of getting hard again but I swear my fucking brain has an erection right now._

"We'll talk about it in the morning," Sean promises. _Fucking thirty-nine-year-old cock -- want to fuck him through the mattress, not go to fucking sleep now._

"No we won't," Liam murmurs, doing his best to get out of his submissive mindset as he settles in for sleep. "You're mine in the morning. Want a blowjob first off."

Sean's eyes go wide for a moment, and then he nods, snuggling deeper into the pillows. "All right," he grins. "First thing in the morning."

"Love you," Liam murmurs as he closes his eyes and shifts to get comfortable. It feels good to say it like this -- feels right -- and he smiles a little.

The words come more easily than Sean ever expected them to. "Love you, too."

_-end-_


End file.
